Fastener member and fastener installation



Dec. 19, 1939. w. H. CHURCHILL 2,134,249

FASTENER MEMBER AND FASTENER INSTALLATION Filed Feb; 18, 1958.

I nvenior:

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Patented Dec. 1 9, 1939 PATENT OFFICE FASTENER MED/[BER AND FASTENER INSTALLATION Wilmer H. Churchill, Saugus, Mass., United-Carr Fastener Corporation,

assignor to Cambridge,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 18, 1938, Serial No. 191,242

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in snap fastener members of the type particularly, though not exclusively, adapted for securing a molding strip to a support and installations of the same.

Referring to the drawing, in which I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention- Figure l is a front plan view of an installation showing a molding strip secured to a supporting structure by means of my improved fastener;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of my improved fastener member per se;

Fig. 4 is an end view of my improved fastener member per se;

Fig. 5 is a front view of my improved fastener member per se; and

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of my improved fastener member per se.

My invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, relates to a snap fastener member which may be preferably used for fastener secured installations in which an article of manufacture, such as a hollow molding and the like, is quickly and efiiciently secured to a supporting structure, such as a part of the frame of an auto- 7 mobile body. The particular installation shown in the drawing which I have chosen to illustrate the use of my improved fastener member comprises a frame I of an automobile body and a hollow molding strip 2 secured to a. supporting structure 3 forming a part of the frame I by means of my improved fastener member 4. The frame I, in my preferred form, is of four-sided cross-sectional shape and has relatively short extensions 5 and'6 of respective adjacent sides I and 8 forming a relatively narrow supporting structure 3 (Fig. 2) disposed outside the foursided cross-sectional area. The portions 5 and 6 are disposed in superposed adjacent relation and have an aperture 9 (Fig. 2) extending therethrough. The aperture 9 is preferably internally threaded for receiving a threaded shank of a screw member II) which serves, in my preferred installation, to attach the fastener member 4 to the supporting structure 3, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The molding strip 2 may be of any suitable cross-sectional shape and has a longitudinal opening H running the entire length thereof and inwardly-bent flanges l2 and I3 adjacent the opening H (Fig. 2).

Referring to my preferred form of fastener member, I have struction in which shown one of one-piece con- 55 the fastener has a relatively fiat base I4 providing opposed edges l5 and IS. The base M, in my preferred form, has a pair of openings l1-ll extending toward the edge 16 from the edge l5 and an aperture M preferably formed intermediate the openings l|-l'l, as 5 most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The base M has two sets of attaching portions, each of which comprises a pair of opposed yieldable arms |8-'|8 and l9--l9 respectively. One arm of each of the respective pairs l8l8 and Iii-l9 is integrally joined to the most inwardly-disposed edge l'l of the respective opening I] while the other arm is integrally joined to the edge It of the base. The arms of each of the respective pairs l8l8 and l9-l9 diverge from the base I4 and then converge toward their free ends providing shoulders 20-20 for snap fastener engagement with the flanges l2 and i3 of the molding strip 2 through the opening ll thereof. Integral with the edge iii of the base l4 intermediate 20 the pairs of arms I have formed a lip portion 2i having a flat upper surface 22 disposed above the normal plane of the base M in substantially parallel relation thereto. The upper surface 22 of the lip 2| is disposed above the base M, in my preferred form, a distance substantially equal to the distance of the top surface 23 of the screw head 24 of the screw member Ill from the base l4 and is adapted to cooperate with the surface 23 of the screw head to support the flanges I2 and I3 of the molding strip 2.

In assembling the parts of my installation the base M of the fastener member is disposed on the upper surfaceof the portion 6 of the frame with the aperture I l of the base in registry with the opening 9 of the supporting structure 3. When the fastener is in this position the relative dimensions of the fastener member and the support 3, in my preferred installation, cause the edge l5 of the fastener to be located substantially adjacent the outer surface of the side 8 of the frame I and the edge It in substantial registry with the free edges of the portions 5 and 6 of the supporting structure 3. At the same time the lip 2| extends beyond thefree edges of the portions 5 and 6, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. Next, the fastener member is secured to the support through means of the screw member ID having its shank in cooperating threaded engagement with the aperture 9 and its head 24 engaging an upp r surface of the base l4. Thus, after the fastener member-has been finally secured to the support the broad surface 22 of the lip 2| and the top 23 of the screw head 24 are disposed at substantially equal distances from the base I of the fastener 5 member. Finally, the molding strip 2 is secured to the fastener member through snapping the When the molding strip is in final assembly with the fastener member, the flange I2 is supported by the top surface 23 of the screw head 24 and the flange I3 is supported by the upper surface 22 of the lip 2 I. Thus it will be seen that by constructing the fastener member so as to have the lip 2| disposed above the normal plane of the base of the fastener member, a means is provided cooperating with the screw head 24 to maintain flanges of the molding strip in substantially parallel relation to the base I4 of the fastener member.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined in the following claims.

I claim: 7

1. A fastener member having a base and a pair of yieldable arms extending therefrom, the arms of said pair extending from opposed free edges of said base, said arms having diverging and con- 2. A fastener member having a base and a pair of openings at one side thereof, two pairs of yieldable arms extending from said base for fastener engagement with another part through an opening thereof, each of said pairs having one arm tegral portion being disposed above the normal plane of said base a distance substantially equal to the height of the head portion of said attaching means above the same.

WILMER CHURCHILL. 

